This invention relates to a locking system for securing one or more doors of a container and, more particularly, to such a locking system including a sliding member securing mechanism.
There are various types of containers that may be used to transport and/or store materials. One type of container is a cargo style shipping container. Cargo style shipping containers typically are rectangular in shape, and have four side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall. While the size of cargo style containers may vary, there are two sizes of this type of container in general use: one size is about 8 feet in height, about 8 feet in width, and about 20 feet in length, and the other size is about 8 feet in height, about 8 feet in width, and about 40 feet in length.
Cargo style shipping containers may be used to transport large volumes of materials from location to location around the world. These large containers can store large quantities of materials and may be effectively transported on boats, trains, trucks, and the like in order to expeditiously arrive at their eventual destination. The detachability and adaptability of these containers is important because the containers will often changes hands from one carrier to another carrier, such as from a train to a trucking company or from a trucking company to a steamship line, during the transport.
Because of the great volume and often valuable nature of the materials transported within the container, security is an important consideration during the transport of the materials. Thus, these containers are usually sealed and/or locked in some manner to prevent an unauthorized person from gaining access into the container.
Another use of a cargo style shipping container is as a storage mechanism for additional storage space. For example, such a container could be used by a school, a hospital, a contractor, or the like to store materials on-site. Often, these containers are used only temporarily by such entities. As with the use of containers for transport, while in use for storage, the containers typically need to be securely locked to protect the materials within the container.
Generally, at least one wall of the container comprises a pair of doors, similar to doors on a barn, which may be opened or closed to gain or prevent access to the interior of the container, respectively. To close the container, a first door is swung closed, the second door is then swung closed, and the doors are locked. Each door is typically closed using an external latch rod having a handle. Movement of the handle in turn moves the external latch rod so that latches at the top and bottom of the latch rod engage with protrusions that protrude from the door frame at the top and bottom of the container. Then, after the doors are closed, at least one of the handles is locked in place, such as by using a padlock or other locking device, to lock the containers and prevent access to the interior of the container.
It is generally known in the art to protect the locking mechanism, such as a padlock, by the use of a protective cover. However, a person may sever the external latch rod, which would then allow access to the interior of the container and, thus, the materials within the container. More particularly, if the external latch rod is severed, an intruder may bypass the padlock and open the door by rotating the latch rod (which is then free of the handle) while the handle remains locked by the padlock. While protecting the locking mechanism prevents an intruder from gaining access to the container by tampering with the padlock, those types of improvements do not protect the securing mechanism (i.e., the external latch rod).
Thus, to better prevent unauthorized access to storage containers like those described above, a mechanism which protects the securing mechanism from tampering, as well as preventing tampering with the actual locking mechanism, is desired.
The present invention provides a mechanism for securing a container. The container includes at least one wall. The at least one wall includes at least a first door and a second door which has an inner surface and an outer surface.
The mechanism includes a first rod, which is attached with the outer surface of the first door. The first rod is capable of being rotated from an openable position, when the first door is capable of being opened, to a closed position, when the first door is engaged with the container to be closed. The mechanism includes a channel member, which is attached with the inner surface of the first door. The mechanism includes a sliding member slidably received within the channel member. The sliding member is also engageable with the first rod. As the first rod is rotated from the openable position to the closed position, engagement of the first rod with the sliding member causes the sliding member to slide to secure the first door.
In one embodiment, the at least one wall further comprises a second portion, and a portion of the sliding member slides behind an inner surface of the second portion to secure the first door. In one embodiment, the second portion is a second door.
In one embodiment, the container includes a first handle attached to the first rod. Movement of the first handle in turn rotates the first rod from the openable position to the closed position.
In one embodiment, the mechanism includes an engaging member for engaging the sliding member with the first rod. The engaging member is attached with the first rod when the first rod is in the closed position. In an exemplary embodiment, the engaging member is welded to the first rod.
In one embodiment, the mechanism includes a plate attached to the inner surface of the first door so that the channel member is attached to the plate to be attached with the inner surface of the first door. In an exemplary embodiment, the plate is attached to the inner surface of the first door using screws and the channel member is attached to the plate by welding.
In one embodiment, the mechanism includes a pair of tabs. One tab is attached with the outer surface of the first door and the other tab is attached with the first rod. Each tab defines an opening therein, and the openings defined in the tabs align with each other when the first rod is rotated to be in the closed position. A locking device may be inserted into the openings defined in the tabs to lock the first door in the closed position. In addition, a cover may be attached with the outer surface of the first door so as to cover the pair of tabs and the locking device.
In one embodiment, when the at least one wall comprises two doors, the mechanism includes a pin attached with a bottom portion of the inner surface of the second door and a pin engaging hole defined in a floor of the container. The pin is inserted into the pin engaging hole to lock the second door to the container.
The present invention also provides a method of securing a container. The container includes at least one wall that includes at least a first door. The first door includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The container includes a first rod. The first rod is attached with the outer surface of the first door. The first rod is capable of being rotated from an openable position, when the first door is capable of being opened, to a closed position, when the first door is engaged with the container to be closed. The container includes a channel member attached with the inner surface of the first door. The container also includes a sliding member slidably received within the channel member. The sliding member is engageable with the first rod.
The method comprises the step of rotating the first rod from the openable position to the closed position to slide the sliding member within the channel member to secure the first door.
In one embodiment, the at least one wall further comprises a second portion, and a portion of the sliding member slides behind an inner surface of the second portion to secure the first door. In one embodiment, the second portion is a second door.
In one embodiment, the container further includes an engaging member for engaging the sliding member with the first rod. The engaging member is attached with the first rod when the first rod is in the closed position. The step of rotating the first rod includes moving the engaging member to slide the sliding member within the channel member.
In one embodiment, when the at least one wall comprises two doors, the step of rotating the first rod is preceded by the step of locking the second door by inserting a pin attached with a bottom portion of the inner surface of the second door into a pin engaging hole defined in a floor of the container.
In one embodiment, the container further includes a pair of tabs. One tab is attached with the outer surface of the first door and the other tab is attached with the first rod. Each tab defines an opening therein, and the openings defined in the tabs align with each other when the first rod is rotated to be in the closed position. In this embodiment, the step of rotating the first rod is followed by the steps of inserting a locking device into openings defined in the pair of tabs; and locking the locking device. In one embodiment, the method then includes the step of placing a cover over the pair of tabs and the locking device.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.